Israel issues tender for illegal E. Jerusalem settlement units in breach of promise, rights groups say

The Israeli government broke a commitment over the controversial E1 illegal settlement project in occupied East Jerusalem by issuing a tender for 1,234 illegal settlement units without notifying petitioners who had challenged the project in court, three Israeli rights groups said Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the three groups – Ir Amim, Bimkom, and Peace Now – said the tender was issued while legal proceedings over the project remain before the Jerusalem District Court, and before the government has submitted its formal response to the petition.

The E1 plan covers roughly 12 square kilometers (4.6 square miles) east of Jerusalem and aims to link the illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim with Jerusalem via the construction of Israeli housing on Palestinian land.

The three organizations, along with several Palestinian communities that have challenged the project, accuse the government of reneging on a formal commitment made through the State Attorney’s Office to notify them in advance before issuing any tenders related to E1.

They said the tender includes 1,234 illegal settlement units – almost half of the 3,401 units that have been approved as part of the wider E1 project.

“Implementing this phase alone will create irreversible facts on the ground with far-reaching political and geographic implications,” the groups said.

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They also said the State Attorney’s Office had informed the petitioners on July 19 that no tenders related to E1 were expected to be issued within the next two or three months, while pledging to inform them in advance if the government decided to proceed with a tender.

“However, the government issued the first tender today without any prior notice,” the groups said, adding that petitioners had only learned of it through a government announcement celebrating the tender’s publication.

According to the groups, the E1 project calls for the construction of some 3,400 illegal settlement units to create a contiguous Israeli urban area linking Maale Adumim with Jerusalem.

For more than three decades, successive Israeli governments have refrained from advancing the project due to broad international opposition and concerns that it would sever the geographic continuity of the occupied West Bank, isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the territory, and undermine prospects for a two-state solution, the groups said.

They said the decision to issue a partial tender after the government made its commitment to the petitioners “raises serious questions and requires a clear explanation.”

“Issuing a partial tender appears to be an attempt to advance the project, while limiting the extent of legal scrutiny and media and public attention,” the groups added.

The groups’ statement comes as legal proceedings over the E1 project remain pending before the Jerusalem District Court, and before the government has submitted its official response to the petition, the statement said.

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